As of
October 6, 2022, this website will
be no longer valid. Watch
the URSS Facebook page for updates
on the new website. Thank
you all for your patronage over
the last 17 years. Dianne
URSS
FOUNDER RICK SALEM CALLS IT A
CAREER
Bryan
Hulbert - OBERLIN, Kan. (September
23, 2022) After 17-years at the
helm of the Drive to Zero United
Rebel Sprint Series presented by
Mel Hambelton Ford, URSS founder
Rick Salem has called it a career.
"Well,
I guess it’s the end of an era. As
of today, I have officially
stepped down and away from my
baby, the United Rebel Sprint
Series. I have had 17 years of
joy, fun, a sense of
accomplishment, and heartaches,
but it is time to step away,"
stated Rick on his Facebook page
on Friday.
"I want
to thank all the racers, my crews,
sponsors, and fans for your
support for the last 17 years.
None of it would have been
possible without you all."
Purchased by Terry Mattox and
Kerry Gorby before the start of
the 2022 season, the United Rebel
Sprint Series wrapped up the first
year under their ownership on
September 18 at Concordia
Speedway, with Jeremy Huish
landing his third win of the year
and the 2022 URSS Championship by
two markers over Steven
Richardson. 86 drivers took part
in at least one event this season.
"Can't
express enough thanks to Rick for
setting the foundation for Kerry
and I to take the URSS on to the
next era," stated Terry Mattox.
"Rick has been fantastic to work
with and carried himself and this
series professionally. We aim to
take what he built and continue to
strengthen, and grow the tour for
fans and teams to enjoy."
Details
on the 2023 season will be
released as they are finalized.
Updates on the Drive to Zero
United Rebel Sprint Series
presented by Mel Hambelton Ford
can be found at https://www.unitedrebelsprintseries.com.
Anyone
interested in information on the
United Rebel Sprint Series can
contact Terry Mattox at (918)
417-0624.
The
United Rebel Sprint Series
sanctions RaceSaver Sprint Car
racing across Kansas, southern
Nebraska, and Western Missouri.
For more information, find the
series on Facebook or log onto http://www.unitedrebelsprintseries.com.
Submitted By: Bryan
Hulbert
Huish
Conquers Concordia to Capture URSS
Championship!
Lonnie Wheatley, CONCORDIA, Kan.
(September 18, 2022) – Jeremy
Huish not only won Sunday night’s
battle as Sprint Cars took to the
cozy confines of the ¼-mile
Concordia Raceway clay oval for
the first time ever but also won
the war that was the United Rebel
Sprint Series 2022 season by
coming away with the series
championship.
Entering the night 12 points in
arrears to points leader Steven
Richardson and four points behind
Luke Cranston, Huish’s third
series win of the season aboard
the Whitetail Properties Real
Estate/Gunderson Racing Inc. No.
88J Sprint Car coupled with
finishes of seventh and eighth for
Richardson and Cranton,
respectively, was enough for the
Jetmore, KS, racer to escape with
the series crown by a slim
two-point margin over Liberal’s
Richardson.
“We were all kind of scratching
our heads after hot laps, we
weren’t really sure what to
expect,” Huish commented
afterward. “But they did a
great job of prepping the track
during the night and gave us a
great track for the feature.
But I may be partial since we
won.”
Needing things to break his way to
make up the 12-point deficit to
Richardson, the night worked out
in storybook fashion for Huish.
After winning his heat race from
the pole position, Huish redrew
the outside front row for the
20-lap season finale and found
himself out front exiting turn two
on the opening round when pole
starter Zach Blurton stumbled
getting into turn one on the
opening corner and fell back to
fifth.
With Huish in command, a flurry of
cautions hindered the initial
half-dozen circuits, the last of
which proved most consequential
when Richardson spun to a stop in
turn two while holding down fourth
and was relegated to the tail of
the field.
“I knew then we could win the
championship if I could hold on
for the win and Steven
(Richardson) didn’t finish any
better than seventh,” Huish
explained. “But I was trying
not to think too much about that.”
That’s exactly how it played out,
as Huish kept the battling duo of
Lee Goos, Jr., and a resurgent
Blurton at bay over the final 14
non-stop circuits to race on to
victory lane with Richardson only
able to climb back up to seventh.
As Huish worked the topside out
front, Goos, Jr., ultimately got
the nod for runner-up honors with
Blurton settling for the show
position as Jake Martens and Jon
Freeman rounded out the top five.
Huish and Goos, Jr., topped heat race action.
full results
BLURTON SWEEPS OBERLIN WEEKEND
WITH
UNITED REBEL SPRINT SERIES
Bryan Hulbert - OBERLIN, Kan.
(September 11, 2022) Getting the
weekend sweep with the Drive to
Zero United Rebel Sprint Series
presented by Mel Hambelton Ford,
Zach Blurton took the point on Lap
11 and never looked back in the
Bob Salem Memorial at Oberlin
Speedway.
Moving up from third, the No. 2j
took the lead after Luke Cranston
retired early. From there, Zach
went unchallenged for the win.
Steven Richardson crossed second
from seventh with Todd Plemons in
the show position. The top five
filled out with Jeremy Huish and
Jon Freeman.
The Drive to Zero United Rebel
Sprint Series presented by Mel
Hambelton Ford goes green again
Saturday, September 17 at
Jefferson County Speedway, and
Sunday, September 18 at Concordia
Raceway.
full
results
BLURTON TAKES OPENING NIGHT OF BOB
SALEM MEMORIAL
WITH UNITED REBEL SPRINT SERIES
Bryan Hulbert - OBERLIN, Kan.
(September 10, 2022) The fifth
time this season that Zach Blurton
has raced to the top of the field
with the Drive to Zero United
Rebel Sprint Series presented by
Mel Hambelton Ford, Zach's latest
triumph took place Saturday night
in the Bob Salem Memorial at
Oberlin Speedway.
Getting the point on Lap 3 from
Nebraska’s Monty Ferriera, the No.
45 chased the remained of the
20-lap affair but was not unable
to hunt down the No. 2j, who won
by 2.520-seconds. Jeremy Huish
crossed third, followed by Jordan
Knight, who made up three spots
for fourth. Up five, Jon Freeman
crossed fifth.
Luke Cranston, sixth, was followed
by Trefer Waller. The top ten
rounded out with Steven
Richardson, Tyler Knight, and Chad
Salem.
full
results
STEVEN RICHARDSON LEADS IT ALL
WITH URSS
AT 81-SPEEDWAY
(Image
Credit: David Smith, Jr.)
Bryan
Hulbert –
PARK CITY, Kan. (August
20, 2022) Getting back to Victory
Lane with the Drive to Zero United
Rebel Sprint Series presented by
Mel Hambelton Ford, Liberal’s
Steven Richardson led start to
finish Saturday night at
81-Speedway.
Getting
the win by 2.031-seconds, the No.
8j was chased early by Luke
Cranston. Coming up from sixth,
the runner-up spot changed hands
on Lap 8 when Zach Blurton took
over the chase. Not able to make
up any time from there, the top
two were chased to the end by
Cranston. Fourth went to Jake
Martens, with fifth to Jeremy
Huish.
Up six
spots, Jordan Knight crossed
sixth. Ty Williams, Monty
Ferriera, Brian Herbert, and Ray
Seemann made the top ten.
full results
HUISH
HOLDS ON FOR URSS SCORE AT RUSH
COUNTY SPEEDWAY
(Image
Credit: David Smith, Jr.)
Bryan
Hulbert – LA CROSSE, Kan. (August
19, 2022) In Victory Lane for the
second time in 2022 with the Drive
to Zero United Rebel Sprint Series
presented by Mel Hambelton Ford,
Jeremy Huish parked the No. 88j at
Rush County Speedway in La Crosse,
Kan. on Friday night.
Taking
the lead near the race’s
mid-point, after starting fourth,
Huish would not go the distance
without a challenge from
Oklahoma’s Jake Martens, who made
a last lap charge at the Jetmore,
Kan. shoe, but would have to
settle for the runner-up spot.
Koby Walters in third was followed
by Luke Cranston in fourth. Brian
Herbert made up the top five.
Ty
Williams, Steven Richardson, Kohl
Ricke, Jordan Knight, and Ray
Seemann completed the top ten.
full
results
TY WILLIAMS CROWNED FIFTH
ANNUAL BELLEVILLE
305 SPRINT CAR NATIONALS
CHAMPION!
Lonnie
Wheatley, BELLEVILLE, Kan. (August
6, 2022) – Arcadia, Oklahoma’s Ty
Williams added another feather to
his cap by taking the $7,000
winner’s share in Saturday night’s
Fifth Annual Belleville 305 Sprint
Car Nationals 30-lap finale atop
the ½-mile Belleville High Banks
clay oval.
It
wasn’t without some twists and
turns along the way before
Williams ultimately made what
proved to be the race-winning pass
in the final pair of corners of
the United Rebel Sprint Series
event and learned of the victory
post-race when apparent winner
Steven Richardson fell light at
the scales.
While
much of the way it looked as if
Luke Cranston was destined for a
second consecutive Belleville 305
Nationals title, Richardson
rallied through the field after an
opening lap incident and took
command on the final circuit in
turns one and two.
Williams followed suit and slipped
by Cranston as well in the next
pair of corners to chase
Richardson across the stripe.
But
Richardson’s thrilling charge
through the field proved to be all
for naught when he rolled across
the scales 30 pounds below the
minimum weight of 1,550 pounds,
handing the win over to Williams
aboard the Steve Hilker
Trucking/Cattletrucks.com No. 911.
After
starting from the pole position,
Williams spent the duration of the
race pursuing fellow front row
starter Cranston and closed in on
several occasions as the lead duo
blazed a trail on the upper
portion of the high-speed oval.
“I felt
like we were about equal, and I
might have a shot at him
(Cranston); I had already decided
that I was going to the low side
on the last lap to see if I could
get by,” Williams explained
afterward. “But Steven
(Richardson) found the rubber down
there first and got by before I
moved down.”
Originally of the belief that he
was settling for runner-up honors
after following Richardson past
Cranston, moments later, Williams
learned that he was adding the
Belleville title to a 305
Nationals win at Missouri’s I-70
Motorsports Park in May.
“It’s
not the way I want to win for
sure,” Williams explained. “But
that’s the way it goes; that’s
what the rules say.”
After
gunning into the lead at the
outset and leading all the way to
the white flag, Cranston settled
for runner-up honors. “Those guys
just found the rubber down there,
I didn’t realize it had come in
that strong,” the Ness City shoe
commented. “I hate it for Steven
(Richardson); that’s a tough way
to lose this race.”
Salina’s Jon Freeman filled out
the podium in third, with Texas
representative Chase Brewer
crossing the stripe fourth, while
Zach Blurton earned Hard Charger
honors by racing from 18th to
round out the top five. Much of
Blurton’s charge happened early as
he made his way to eighth in the
opening handful of laps and then
battled his way to an ultimate
top-five finish.
Chad
Koch crossed the stripe sixth,
with 20th-starter Landon Thompson,
Brett Becker, Jordan Knight, and
Jed Werner completing the top ten.
Friday night preliminary winner
John Carney II stayed near his
seventh starting position
throughout until he slowed on the
final lap with a cut tire and
coasted across the line in 15th as
the final car on the lead lap.
The
feature got off to a tumultuous
start as six cars tangled in the
opening corner, including
Richardson, Todd Plemons, Tyler
Drueke, Thompson, Brandon Bosma,
and Gunnar Pike. Plemons and
Drueke were done for the night
while Richardson tagged the field
and began his dramatic charge,
cracking the top ten by the tenth
round and making his way to fourth
by the time a final caution flew
with three laps remaining when
Bosma slowed on the track.
Working
the bottom of the track,
Richardson worked forward and into
the lead after the white flag only
to run afoul of the scales.
Freeman
established the quickest overall
qualifying lap of 16.874 seconds
with Stu Snyder, Williams, Brewer,
and Jack Potter, topping heat race
action before Drueke and Blurton
won the twin “B” Mains.
full
results
CARNEY COLLECTS BELLEVILLE 305
SPRINT CAR NATIONALS PRELIMINARY
WIN!
Lonnie
Wheatley, BELLEVILLE, Kan. (August
5, 2022) – John Carney II etched
his name into the history books as
a feature winner atop the storied
½-mile Belleville High Banks clay
oval by topping Friday night’s
20-lap Fifth Annual Belleville
Fifth Annual Belleville 305 Sprint
Car Nationals preliminary feature.
Carney
swept into the lead on the
high-side of the track on the 12th
round and kept the dicing trio of
Luke Cranston, Zach Blurton and
Steven Richardson at bay the rest
of the way to snare the $2,500
winner’s share aboard the Coyote
Candle Company No. 74b Sprint Car.
Carney
was holding down the third
position on a lap ten restart
precipitated by a red flag for
Boyd Peterson’s ride along and
then up-and-over the turn three
and four guardrail.
Carney
made quick work of the lead duo as
action resumed and went on to
secure the United Rebel Sprint
Series-sanctioned win.
“We
didn’t make any adjustments under
the red flag,” Carney explained
afterward. “I felt like we were
just starting to get really good
right before the red. The track
really didn’t change, the car just
kept getting better as the race
went on, we were just a little too
tight to begin with.”
Defending Belleville 305 Sprint
Car Nationals champion Cranston
led the field to the green flag
with Carney alongside. But it was
third-starter Richardson racing
into the lead in the opening pair
of corners and setting the pace
ahead of Cranston and Carney in
the early going.
Cranston began to move in to
challenge after a handful of laps
and slid past Richardson in turn
two for the point on the tenth
round with Richardson making a
counter-move only to have the red
flag appear.
Richardson led just two more laps
before Carney raced past both he
and Cranston en route to victory
lane.
Cranston settled for runner-up
honors, explaining that, “I don’t
think we had anything for him
(Carney), he found the top before
I did and it was too late then.”
Blurton
picked off a pair of positions
after the red-flag stoppage to
fill out the podium third as
Richardson settled for fourth with
Stu Snyder advancing a handful of
positions to round out the top
five.
Ty
Williams earned Hard Chargers
honors by racing from 14th to
sixth with Jeremy Huish, Todd
Plemons, 17th-starter Tyler Drueke
and Jordan Knight completing the
top ten.
After
Jeff Stasa established the
quickest overall lap of 17.584
seconds in qualifying, Cranston,
Huish, Plemons and Blurton topped
heat race action with Drueke and
Jon Freeman winning the twin “B”
Mains.
The
Fifth Annual Belleville 305 Sprint
Car Nationals wraps up with
Saturday night’s $7,500-to-win and
$1,000-to-start championship
finale.
full results
KOBY
WALTERS LEADS IT ALL WITH URSS
AT
DODGE CITY RACEWAY PARK
Bryan
Hulbert – DODGE CITY, Kan. (July
23, 2022) Finding his way to the
flag stand first every time around
Saturday night, Koby Walters
captured the win at Dodge City
Raceway Park with the Drive to
Zero United Rebel Sprint Series
presented by Mel Hambelton Ford.
Winning
by 0.736-seconds, the No. 33 was
chased by Zach Blurton, who made
it to second from sixth. Luke
Cranston third was followed by
Steven Richardson and Jeremy Huish
to complete the top five.
The
Drive to Zero United Rebel Sprint
Series presented by Mel Hambelton
Ford races again on Friday, July
29, and Saturday, July 30 at Rush
County Speedway in La Crosse, Kan.
Fans
not able to attend URSS events in
2022 can see them live on http://www.racindirt.com.
The
United Rebel Sprint Series
sanctions RaceSaver Sprint Car
racing across Kansas, southern
Nebraska, and Western Missouri.
For more information, find the
series on Facebook or log onto http://www.unitedrebelsprintseries.com.
full
results
A Word From The Series Founder
Welcome to
our United Rebel Sprint Series official web site. With the
growing support of committed competitors and supporting tracks,
an affordable sprint car series is now full throttle. We
are now booking dates to area race tracks that will bring back
affordable Sprint Car Racing to promoters and participants
alike. This series bottom line is affordable open wheel
racing... period. We have got to keep the costs down on
this class to insure it's growth and make it a profitable
opportunity for track promoters. Thus making this series a
winner for everyone .... including the fans.
Our pay structures of $700 to $2,000 to win and $150 to $200 to start the
main, it is designed to bring new competitors into the series
and make it feasible to travel to the area tracks insuring full
fields. We have adopted a set of rules and feel they keep the costs low and the competition
close. By enforcing them we can keep it affordable to all.
This series has the potential to grow like wild fire and is a
great concept to keep open wheel racing alive to all competitors
and racetracks. I want to thank you all for your interest and
the overwhelming support you have shown for this series.
Please feel free to contact me at any time for more information.
United Rebel Sprint
Series
900 West Victoria #15
Oberlin KS. 67749
785-475-7010
or e-mail Rick at
rksalem@eaglecom.net
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Sprint Series.
